- Troy Stecher re-signs with the Maple Leafs on a two-year deal
- The 32-year-old blueliner could have hit unrestricted free agency on July 1
- Read below for the contract terms and where Stecher fits on Toronto’s blue line
The Maple Leafs didn’t let Troy Stecher get anywhere near the open market.
Toronto re-signed the veteran defenseman to a two-year extension on Monday, two days before free agency opens. The team announced it in classic fashion:
It’s a bargain rate. The extension is reportedly worth $1.35 million per season, nearly double the $787,500 Stecher played on last year. He could have walked as an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Stecher landed in Toronto almost by accident. The Leafs claimed him off waivers from Edmonton on November 15, and he stuck around. He put up 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 64 games between the Oilers and Leafs, eating close to 20 minutes a night.
Undrafted out of North Dakota, he cracked the NHL with Vancouver in 2016. The 32-year-old has since suited up for seven organizations and piled up 131 points in 624 regular-season games.
His return fills out a blue line that looks nothing like it did in the spring. Toronto added Darren Raddysh from Tampa Bay earlier this month and sent Brandon Carlo to St. Louis. Stecher brings cheap, experienced depth on the right side.
Monday was a busy one for the front office. Chris Johnston of The Athletic laid out the rest of the moves:
Last season ended early for Toronto, a 32-36-14 finish that snapped a playoff streak dating back to 2016. Gavin McKenna leads the next wave, but the bottom of the roster still needs bodies. Stecher checks one of those boxes without denting the cap.
